Social media has broken down the barriers between hotels and their guests, allowing properties of all sizes to engage with their audience in a way that is less corporate, more human and more engaging.
Whatever your platform(s) of choice, succeeding in the social web is all about forging and maintaining human relationships to give great customer service and spread your brand message as far as possible.
If you’re still struggling to let the more human face of your hotel or resort shine through, here are 3 quick, simple tips to get started on today.
People want genuine connections
They don’t want constant sales pitches and barely concealed advertising. It’s sometimes easy to forget it, but each of those profile images represents a real person – a real person that likes to know that they’re important and that their views and queries are being listened to.
Industry research shows that people expect a business to respond to a question posed on Facebook or Twitter within an hour, and that expectation is only going to increase as the world becomes more and more social media savvy. That’s why social monitoring tools are so vital, they offer you a unique chance to listen in to your guests’ conversations and learn more about their behaviours and preferences. The closer you listen, the better your property will be able to approach guest interactions online from a place of relevance and trust. Social media has opened up the lines of communication between consumer and brand like never before, giving anyone who wants it the chance to voice their opinions and ideas. It’s up to you as a business to listen to them.
A little thank you goes a long way
If someone posts a favourable comment about your property or recommends you to a friend, make a point of acknowledging and thanking them for the kind words. This gratitude is not just common courtesy, it also helps the guest in question feel more valued and closer to your business as a result – just think how pleased you feel when a major brand Likes or re-tweets something you’ve said.
See social media as a tool to help others first, promote your brand second
Understandably, most businesses have pretty self-interested reasons for cultivating a strong social media presence – they want to promote their brand, reach a wider audience and ultimately drive sales online. However, actually switching things around so you’re using social platforms to find ways to benefit your guests can go a long way to boosting your results in these three areas. The more you view your social media activities from the perspective of how you can help, the more valuable your conversations will be.
As discussed earlier, your guests want to feel valued and listened to. Brands that are successfully making them feel this way are those that are achieving higher levels of engagement on sites like Twitter, Facebook and Google+. Although social media is a great way to showcase your resort, it is not a purely promotional platform, but a two-way conversation between you and your audience. Approaching each interaction with the question ‘how can I help?’ at the forefront of your mind should act as the guiding principle of your campaign.
Anything to add? Let us know in the comments below!
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